Uniting knitted webs.



i.. N. D. WILLIAMS. UNITING KNIUED WEBS, APPLICATION mw nu. 1s. mz.

Patented J mw 165, 15H3.

L. N. WILLIAMS.

UNITING KNITTED WEBS.

APPLHIANON FILED mi. 15. m114 4 SHEETSASHEET 2.

dvfzimq L. N. D. WMLIAMS.

UNIUNG KNITD WEBS.

APPLICAHUH m50 mi. 15. mi.

lutnnivd Juno 18, 1918 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

L. N. D. WILLIAMS.

UNTINU KNTTED WEBS.

APPLlcArloN mm ma. l5. 1911.

Patented June 18, 1918.

Y; .g. /j/

Ytid) UIN'TNG KNITTED VUEBS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1918.

Application 'llled February 15, 1917. Serial No. 148,756.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Lom` N. I). VVrt- LniMs, a citizen of the United States, residing in Ogontz, Pennsylvania., have invented certain Improvements in Uniting Knitted Webs, i' which the following is a specifica tiorn The object of my invention is to elleot the attachment of the lip of. a toe pocket to the front end of the corresponding portion of the foot web of a stocking by the saine inachine upon which thc said stocking is imitted, and by a continuation of the knitting operation whereby the toe pocket was produced.

This object I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the -aoeonripanying drawings, in wlnohf-v Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of part of a circular knitting machine and of certain parte employed in combination thore- With for the purpose of carrying ont my invention in connection with the closing of the toe pocket of a stocking;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are vertical sectional views illustrating one of the needles of the set, upon which the toe poolret is to be linie ted, and one of a series of retainers coperating with the needles, Fig. 2 showing the relation of the retainer to the needlc'dnring the formation of the initial or setting up course around the lip of the toe pool-zot, Fig. 3 showing such relation after 'the initial course has been completed, and the :further knitting of the toe pocket is about to begin, and Fig. 4 showing the relation of the parte after the knitting oi the toe pocket been completed;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 3, 'but showinn,` the lirst of the operation of transferring the loops around the lip of the toe pocket 'to the needles which produce the corresponding portion or the foot weh;

liigi;u 6 is a view similar to Fig. out

t showing a further stage in such. operation;

Fig. C is a View similar to Fig. 1l," hill' showing the ilnal stage of the transieij @mi eration.; f

Fir. 8 is a dia rammatic rieiresentatin ou an exaggerated scalo, oli needles and loop retainers of the machine illustrainingr seid "retainers in the relation to theneedles shown in Fig, 3;

Fig. 9 is a representation of the loops around the forward 11p oi. the 'toe pocket,

and of the retainers therefor, in the relation to the transfer points shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 10 is a representation of the needles of the machine, the transfer points and the loops around the 'forward 11p of the toe pocket in the relation to each other shown in Fig. 7

Fig. 11 is a representation of the stitches of the toe pocket and of the initial course of thc foot Weh,'the latter stitches'being shown in their relation to the stitches of the final course of the toe pocket, and to the loops around the forward lip of the same.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, 1 represents part of the needle cylinder of an ordinary circular knitting machine having the usual spring or latch needles 2 and 2, the needles 2 extending around one-half of the cylinder and the needles Q around the other half of the same. The machine is also provided with the usual web holders 3 which are mounted so as to reciprocate in a carryingI ring 4 outside of the cylinder and are each actuated by a cam ring 5 which imparts such reciprocating movement thereto in the ordinary manner.

Extending around that half of the cylinder which contains the needles 2 are a semiciroular series of loop retainers 6 which, in the present instance, have stems 6l pivotally mounted in a semi-circular carrier 7, which may be detaohahly mounted above the needle cylinder in any available Way, said retainers 6 being under control of cams in a. segment 7 whereby they can be projected and retracted as desired, and being preferably hooked, as shown, so as to prevent the knitting yarn or yarns applied thereto from slipping .from the ends of' the same.

In forming a toe pocket in accordance with my invention I reverse the usual proendure` that is to say, instead of first cornpleting the foot portion of the stocking, then putting out of action, but permitting io retain their stitches. those needles around thai-.instep portion of the foot web, then .knitting the toe pocket as a continuation of the solo portion of said web, and finally cast-4 ing,I oil the terminal stitches around the mouth of said pocket to be subsequently united to the stitches around the front end of the instep portion of the web by means of a separately produced course of stitches in the usual way, I start the knitting of the stocking'at the toe pocket, transfer the ini- "tial course of loops at the lip of the pocket to a set of retainers, then proceed to produce the toe pocket by reciprocating lmitting, and narrowing and widening upon onefhalf of the needles of the machine in the usual manner, and, after the production of the pocket has been completed, transfer the loops from the retainers onto the naked needles of the other half of the machine, and then proceed with the formation of the foot tube, the/result being that the lip of the toe pocket is knitted to the front end of the foot tube and the usual seam at this point is rendered unnecessary. With this object and this method Vof operation in View l proceed as follows:

During the application of the yarn tothe needles 2 for the formation of the initial lor setting up course of stitches around the forward lip of the toe pocket, the. retainers 6 occupy the relation lto said needles shown in Fig. 2, whereby, atthe Sametime that the yarn is being engaged by the needles 2, it will be laid 1n the hooks lof the retainers 6 and loops of said yarn will be held thereby.

Preferably, in starting to knit vthe toe pocket the yarn is first applied in one direction to alternate needles 2 of the set, for

instance to those represented in black in Fig.

,8, and on the return movement is fed to the needles 2 which alternate with those to which it was first fed, for instance, to those represented in Awhite in Fi 8. Between successive black needles, an also between successive white needles is thus interposed a pair of separated retainers 6. 4

.'lhe yarn is therefore applied to the retainers 6 during both its forward and its backward course, hence, as shown in Fig. 8, yarn loops around the mouth of the toe pocket will have been leid upon each of said retainers, and, when the retainers are retracted, as shown in Fig. 3, prior to the feedin of the next course of yarn to all of the needles 2, loops a' will be disposed'behind the black -needles and loops behind' the white needles. y

The production of the toe pocket upon the needles 2 is then effected in the usual manner, and when it has been completed it will be suspended between the needles 2 and retainers 6 inthe manner shown in Fig. 4, the needles engaging the terminal course of the pocket and the retainers 6 engaging the loops a", around the forward lip of the pocket. The retainers are now projected Vto the position shown in Fig. 5 for copera tion with a seni-circular setof transfer points 8 whose stems are mounted radially in a 'segmental carrier 9, either xedly in the position shown in Fig. 5, or so as to be radially reciprocated in said carrier by means of a cam segment l() in order to assume either a projected position, as shown in Fig. 5, or a retracted position, as shown prior to their removal from the machine along with their carrier 7 and cam segment 7B.

The transfer point carrier 9 and its points, with the loops of yarn upon them are now swung from the position shown in Figs. 5

' and 6 tb'that shown in Fig. 7, so as to apply the loops@ to the black needles 2a and the loops to the white needles 2EL around the other half of the machine, as shown in Fig. 10, and the transfer points are then withdrawn from the loops m leaving the latterv upon saidneedles 2a.

Round-andround knitting is then proceeded with upon all of the needles for the production of the foot web of the stocking, the stitches fw of the irst course around ouehalf of said foot web being interknitted with the terminal stitches fw of the toe pocket and the stitches fz/ of the first course'around the other half ofthe foot web being interlmitted with the loops a', w around the forward lip of the toe pocket, as shown in Fig. 11, thereby forming an integral union of said lip with the corresponding web and producing a c osed toe upon the same machine upon which the toe web was knitted, and by a continuing operation.

The object in feedin the yarn first' in one direction to one half o the set of needles to 105 ortion of the foot be afterward employed in the production of the toe pocket, and then in the opposite diy rection to the alternating needles of the set,

is to permit of the use of stitch transfer points in line radially with 'the needles, for 11o when this methodv is adopted the yarn loops m will each bridge a corresponding needle 2, and when the retainers 6 are projected, as shown in Fig. 5, the loops which were formerly behind the needles will be carried in 11o front of the same, and each of the transfer points 8 will engage with a loop which is in line with a corresponding needle Wale ofthe toe pocket, as shown in Fig. 9, hence, after these loops have, as shown in Fi 10, been 12o transferred to the needles 2, an the knitting of the foot web is started, stitches y of the first course of said foot web will be drawn through said loops and will each register with a corresponding Wale of the toe pocket, as shown in Fig. l1.

If, on the other hand, the setting-up course was produced by carrying a single yarn from one end of the set of noodles 2 tothe other and feeding said yarn alter- 1'30 -on t nately to a needle and to a retainer 6, the transfer points would have to be disposed between the needles 2 in order to receive the loops from said retainers 6, and not only would the loops be smaller and the engagement of the transfer points with said loops therefore more ditlicult than by the method first described but the transfer points, being out of register with the needles, would have to be shogged laterally in order to brin them into register with the needles 2 Ee opposite side of the machine, and the transferred yloops would be laterally deiected instead of in line with the corresponding needle wales of the toe pocket.

I claim: l 1. The mode herein described of effecting the production of a closed toe member upon a stocking knitted upon a circular knitting machine, said mode consisting in forming a starting course for the toe upon the needles around one-half of the machine by feeding yarn first to every other needle of the set and to retainers adjacent thereto and then to the other needles of the set and to said retainers, continuing the thold of the retainers upon the yarn during the formation of said toe mem er 'upon said set of needles,

4then applying the retained loops tothe needlesaround the other half of the machine, andy then continuing the knitting upon all` ofthe needles.

2. The mode herein described of effecting the production of a closed toe upon a stocking web, said mode consisting in engaging and retainino' loops of the starting course of a toe poc tet, continuing such retention' during the formation of the toe pocket by reciprocating knitting upon one half of the needles of the machine, then engaging transfer points with the loops and freeing the latter from the retainers. then by means of such transfer points, applying the loops to the hitherto inactive needles of the machine, and then knitting the foot web upon all of the needles.

3. 'lhe mode herein described of producing upon the needles of a knitting machine a closed toe upon the foot Web of a stocking, said mode consisting in feeding the knitting yarn rst to every other needle of one half of the machine and then to the' needles alternating therewith, and during each 'feed forming loops of vyarn which bridge alternate needles, engaging said loops with retainers which continue such retention during the production of a toe pocket by reciprocating knitting upon thel needles of said half of the machine, then applying thel loops so retained to the hitherto inactive needles of the other half of the machine, and then knitting the foot web upon the full set of needles.

4. The mode herein described of producing upon the needles of a knitting machine a closed toe upon the foot web of a stocking. said mode consisting in' feeding the knittiufr one half of the machine and then to the needles alternating therewith, and during each feed forming loops of yarn which bridge alternate needles, engaging said loops with retainers which continue 'such retention during the production of a toe pocket by reciprocating knitting upon the needles of said half of the machine, then discharging the loops from said retainers onto a set of transfer points, then delivering said loops from said transfer points to the hitherto inactive needles of the other half of the machine, and then knitting the` foot web upon the full set of needles.

5. The mode herein described of producing upon the needles of a knitting machine a closed toe upon the foot web of a stooking, said mode consisting in first engaging loops of the starting course of a toe pocket,

then carrying said loops backwardly out of rangel of the needles upon which the toe.

pocket is afterward produced by reciprocating knitting, and retaining them in such position during the formation of the toe pocket, then applying said loops to the hitherto inactive needles of the machine. and then knitting the foot web upon all of the needles.

6. The mode herein described of ellecting the production of a closed toe upon a stocking'web;` said mode consisting in engaging loops of the starting course of a toe ocket, carrying said loops backwardly out o range of the needles upon which the production of the toe pocket is subsequently produced by reciprocating knitting, retaining the loops in such retracted position during the production of the toe pocket, and upon the completion of the same projecting the loops forwardly beyond the needles, then engaging each loop Wlth a transfer point and releasing it from the retainer, then applying the loops by means of the transfer points to the hitherto inactive needles of the other half of the machine, and then knitting the foot web upon all of the needles.

Tn testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

Louis N. D. wiLLIAMs.

yarn first to every other needleof 

